HomeCollege BasketballBetting Splits and CBB Sharp Money Picks for Friday February 23rd

    Betting Splits and CBB Sharp Money Picks for Friday February 23rd

    Josh Appelbaum examines where smart money is leaning for Purdue Fort Wayne-Green Bay, Yale-Cornell and Fairfield-Quinnipiac.

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    Wake up with VSiN Daily Morning Bets, a quick 15-minute podcast posted at 7 a.m. ET highlighting the top games and biggest line moves of the day. For a full breakdown of Friday’s betting action be sure to catch the VSiN Market Insights Podcast at 3 p.m. ET.

    You can always track the latest odds and betting percentages for every game using our VSiN Betting Splits.

     

    In the meantime, let’s examine where smart money is leaning for Friday’s 16-game College Basketball slate.

    7 p.m. ET: Purdue Fort Wayne at Green Bay (-2.5, 140)

    Purdue Fort Wayne (17-10) has rotated wins and losses over their last seven games but just took down Detroit 83-69. Meanwhile, Green Bay (17-10) just had their five-game win streak come to an end, falling to Northern Kentucky 58-57. This line opened with Green Bay listed as a 2-point home favorite. Pros seem to think this opener was a bit short and they’ve steamed Green Bay up from -2 to -2.5. Some shops are even up to -3. Green Bay has the better offensive efficiency (197th vs 215th), better offensive rebound percentage (28% vs 22%) and are far better at the free throw stripe (75% vs 70%), which could prove crucial in a tight game. Ken Pom has Green Bay winning by three points (72-69). Pros seems to be specifically targeting Green Bay on the moneyline (-150) as they are receiving 78% of moneyline bets but a whopping 91% of moneyline dollars, further evidence of pros banking on the home team to win straight up. Green Bay is 10-2 at home. Green Bay is also 12-3 over their last 15 games. Green Bay has a rest advantage, having last played on February 14th while Purdue Fort Wayne last played on February 17th. Green Bay is 12-4 in conference play while Purdue Fort Wayne is 8-8. Horizon League home favorites are 44-15 (75%) straight up in conference play this season.

    7 p.m. ET: Yale at Cornell (-2, 155)

    Yale (17-7) just had their 10-game win streak snapped, losing to Princeton 73-62. On the other hand, Cornell (19-4) has won nine of their last ten games and just brushed aside Dartmouth 89-80. This line opened with Cornell listed as a 1.5-point home favorite. We’ve seen Cornell creep up from -1.5 to -2, signaling pro money laying the short chalk with the home team. Cornell is receiving 82% of spread bets and 91% of spread dollars, signaling a heavy combination of both public and sharp support. Cornell has several offensive advantages, including the better offensive efficiency (54th vs 87th) and better effective field goal percentage (57% vs 52%). Cornell is averaging 84 PPG compared to 76 PPG for Yale. Cornell has correlative betting value as a short favorite in a high total game, making it easier for favorite to cover the number. Ken Pom has Cornell winning by two points (78-76). Those looking to protect themselves in what could be a close game may prefer playing Cornell on the moneyline (-135). Cornell is receiving 76% of moneyline bets but 91% of moneyline dollars, a sharp contrarian bet split. This is a revenge spot for Cornell, who lost to Yale 80-78 on the road earlier this month. Ivy League home favorites are 18-5 (78%) straight up in conference play this season. Cornell is 9-0 at home this season.

    9 p.m. ET: Fairfield at Quinnipiac (-3, 158)

    Fairfield (16-10) has won four of their last five games and just dismissed Mount St. Mary’s 94-80. Conversely, Quinnipiac (19-6) has lost two straight and just got crushed by Niagara 80-66. This line opened with Quinnipiac listed as a 2.5-point home favorite. Pros has laid the short chalk with the home team, driving Quinnipiac up from -2.5 to -3. Quinnipiac is receiving roughly 80% of spread bets and dollars, indicating one-way action in their favor from both wiseguys and the public. Quinnipiac has the better defensive efficiency (182nd vs 235th), better offensive rebounding percentage (31% vs 28%) and superior free-throw shooting (78% vs 75%). Quinnipiac is also a buy-low, sell-high value play as they have dropped two straight while Fairfield has won four of their last five. Ken Pom has Quinnipiac winning by two points (78-76), which makes a Quinnipiac moneyline play appealing (-145). Quinnipiac is receiving 86% of moneyline bets but 93% of moneyline dollars, indicating that pros are heavy on the home team to win straight up. MAAC home favorites are 35-22 (61%) straight up in conference play this season. Quinnipiac beat Fairfield on the road 66-64 back in late January. Quinnipiac is 11-2 at home this season.

    Josh Appelbaum
    Josh Appelbaum
    Josh Appelbaum is a Sports Betting Analyst at VSiN and has been working in the betting industry since 2011. He has been with VSiN since 2019, contributing data-driven articles to VSiN.com, hosting the Morning Bets and Market Insights Podcasts and appearing on VSiN and DraftKings programs such as Follow the Money, The Lombardi Line, Sharp Money and The Sweat. He is a contrarian bettor and also the author of The Everything Guide to Sports Betting.

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